a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to antimicrobial agents, especially to antimicrobial agents capable of imparting excellent weatherability to resins, synthetic fibers or the like without impairing the safety and transparency of these materials. This invention is also concerned with resin compositions making use of the above antimicrobial agents and further with articles making use of these resin compositions.
b) Description of the Related Art
Traditionally, antimicrobial agents have been classified roughly into an inorganic type and an organic type. A problem associated with inorganic antimicrobial agents is that, when incorporated as additives in resins, synthetic resins, paints or the like, resulting products are deteriorated in physical properties such as transparency and mechanical strength although these products are good in heat resistance and weatherability. With respect to the safety of inorganic antimicrobial agents, on the other hand, their effects on the ecosystem due to accumulation of metals such as silver as a result of future mass consumption are of concern because these antimicrobial agents contain metal ions such as silver ions.
A problem associated with organic antimicrobial agents, on the other hand, is that when incorporated as additives in resins, synthetic fibers, paints or the like, resulting products are accompanied by drawbacks in heat resistance and weatherability although these products are good in mechanical strength. Depending on the kinds of organic antimicrobial agents employed, a problem with respect to the transparency of resulting products may also arise.